Mary Reid

What counts as a 'political use of public resources'? 

This is a very important issue for councillors and MPs who run their own blogs and websites.  We are all limited by our codes of conduct, which state that council or parliamentary resources should not be used for political purposes. So do we set up pages on the Council's website and accept the restrictions, or do we go for political freedom and run sites that are independent of the Council like this one?

Our democratic system, at parliament and local government levels, is designed to be political. Opposition is built into the system in the belief that this enhances accountability and produces better decision-making.

This then is the paradox: on the one hand political activity is seen as necessary for a healthy democracy, but on the other hand all traces of it have to be obliterated by the very institutions that it serves.

This dilemma has been brought sharply into focus by the emergence of David Miliband as a blogger.  His blog is hosted on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Now I'm pleased to see a member of the Government, especially the Minister for Local Government, giving it a try, and I'll be watching it closely - but not for the reasons that you might expect.

Can he manage to write a blog without being 'political'? More importantly - does he want to?

Would his blog become political if he mentions the Labour Party by name?  What about endorsing Labour Party policies?  What about justifying Cabinet decisions? Or does it only become political if he comments on the views of other parties?

I will be interested to see where he draws the line. 

And if he does get political - under any interpretation - I will not be complaining.  Instead I will be celebrating any small step that he takes to give dignity to political activity and to challenge the rules about the use of government resources.

The question is - will he dare to be a politician?